Social media was once a great global conversation. Now it’s just individuals locked into their own private worlds

I met the mother of my children on Twitter – and made lasting friendships. But now social media isn’t so social, says academic philosopher and writer Tom Whyman

Lifestyle blogger said to have inspired Devil Wears Prada character uses unpaid student interns

Use of interns by Plum Sykes, an ex-assistant of Anna Wintour whose family owns a Yorkshire estate, reignites debate about creative industries

From Andrew Tate to Mountbatten-Windsor, my first name has been dragged through the mud. Can a global community of ‘Drews’ help change that?

The ‘Council of Andrews’ started as a bit of fun – but has led to friendships, financial help and even fiances…

Reform UK voters least likely to see social media posts from family and friends, study finds

Thinktank says algorithms are fuelling isolation and division after analysing posts shown to social media users

Greece announces social media ban for under-15s, citing anxiety and sleep problems

PM says ban will come into force in January if it is backed by parliament and calls for united action across EU

Porn, dog poo and social media snaps: the ‘taskers’ scraping the internet for AI firm part-owned by Meta

Scale AI gig workers describe desperation of using people’s personal profiles and copyrighted work to train AI

Sluts, simps and body shaming: the rise of Africa’s manosphere

Experts have been alarmed at the growth of deep misogyny dressed up as self-help on social media. We profile seven men from across the continent who are gaining traction

Children in UK report online sextortion attempts in record numbers

Exclusive: Call for nudity-detection tech on phones as number of under-18s reporting blackmail attempts rises by 34%

‘I felt ashamed and scared’: how an online friendship became a sextortion nightmare

Thomas found connection online after moving to a rural village with no friends nearby. Then things started to spiral

‘Traceability is vital’: labs test thousands of unregulated substances amid peptide craze

Experts warn consumers of unknown risks as one lab says about a third of samples fail basic quality checks

Do we really need truncheons and pepper spray to fight off London’s ‘feral’ teenage shoplifters?

I don’t want to minimise the scenes in Clapham High Street. But how about dialling things down a notch, writes Zoe Williams

‘It started with a tipoff’: how a Guardian investigation exposed child sex trafficking on Facebook and Instagram

Meta has just lost a multimillion-dollar legal battle over its failure to prevent children being sold on its platforms. Here’s how we uncovered evidence that became part of the case against it

Joe Rogan and the influencers who built Maga are revolting over Iran. Was this an alliance doomed to fail?

Unlike Trump’s cronies in the White House, outside voices are not so easily disciplined. There’s a lesson here for all future political movements, says Jason Okundaye, an assistant Opinion editor at the Guardian

Is the UK falling out of love with social media?

Ofcom data points to more passive consumption amid changes to apps and fears about mental health and past posts

What are peptides, are they safe and is there evidence to back up the hype?

Influencers and athletes are among those claiming substances can help with injury repair, weight loss and angi-ageing